Forty Editions: Thailand's Marathon Institution
Forty editions is a milestone most races never reach. The Chombueng Marathon has been running since the 1980s, predating Thailand's running boom by decades, and its longevity speaks to deep community roots. [1] This isn't a corporate event that appeared five years ago with a big marketing budget — it's a race embedded in the fabric of Chom Bueng district, likely started by a local university or running club and sustained by generations of participants.
The 40th edition, whenever registration opens, is likely to carry special-event touches — commemorative medals, anniversary race tees, and a finish-line atmosphere that acknowledges the milestone. For runners who collect heritage races or value event history, it's a uniquely credentialed entry on the Thai calendar.
The Venue: Ratchaburi Rajabhat University
The race is anchored at Ratchaburi Rajabhat University in Chom Bueng, Ratchaburi province. [1] A university campus is an excellent race venue: it provides a contained start/finish precinct with parking, facilities, and space for a race village, plus a natural loop potential using campus roads and surrounding rural routes.
Chom Bueng is roughly 100km west of Bangkok — about a 1.5-to-2-hour drive — which makes it accessible for Bangkok-based runners as a race-day trip or a single-night stay. Ratchaburi province is known for its floating markets, limestone hills, and the Damnoen Saduak area, giving runners a reason to extend the trip beyond race morning.
The Date and Conditions
31 January sits near the peak of Thailand's cool season, especially in Ratchaburi which is inland enough to catch cooler overnight temperatures than coastal provinces. [1] Expect a pre-dawn flag-off with morning temperatures in the high teens to low 20s Celsius — comfortable running conditions by any standard.
The course profile hasn't been published, but Ratchaburi's terrain around the university is gently undulating rather than mountainous. This is unlikely to be a billiard-table flat course, but neither is it a hill-climb — expect rolling rural roads through a mix of campus grounds and surrounding farmland.
Should You Run It?
If you want a piece of Thai running history, the Chombueng Marathon's 40th edition is hard to match. The university venue, the cool-season date, and four decades of institutional memory add up to a race with real character — the kind of event where the finish-line stories span generations.
Registration hasn't opened yet, but watch runningconnect.com and timingconnect.com for updates. The 2027 edition is set for 31 January at Ratchaburi Rajabhat University, Chom Bueng, Ratchaburi. [1]